Dispenser for pressure-sensitive adhesive tape



y 9 1951 D. R. CLEMONS 2,551,363

DISPENSER FOR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPE Filed Oct. 6, 1947 A b MENTOR Ma 0. R. 62 MOA 6 ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1951 UNITE prsrn'risnn FOR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPE Application October 6, 1947, Serial No. 778,171

Claims. (Cl. 164-845) Thisinvention relates to a dispenser for pressure-sensitive adhesive tape and more particularly to an apparatus for feeding measured and variable lengths of such tape from a supply thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and efificient dispenser for tacky or pressure sensitive adhesive tape which will automatically advance a selected length of the tape from a supply thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for tacky tape which will transversely perforate the advanced tape a selected distance from its outer end.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is withdrawn from a supply roll onto the peripheral surface of a dispensing wheel having bevelled peripheral edges and a central peripherally extending groove with the tacky side of the tape adhering to the peripheral surfaces at the sides of the groove, the bevelled edges and groove permitting an operator to readily grasp and remove a measured length of variable width tape from the wheel with his finger tips; A hand actuated lever, which carries a pivotal springpress'ed combined tape perforating and anchoring or striking devic'e may be moved through variable distances about an axis coincident with that or the Wheel to feed selected lengths of tape during one inovementof the lever, the perforating and staking device being effective to impart rota tion to the dispensing wheel and simultaneously forming a, transverserow of perforations in the tape at the point where the tape is to be detached against the perforating and staking device. In an opposite movement of the lever, the tape perforating and staking device moves freely over the anchored tape to locate the device a selected distance from the tapes' outer end for the next actuation of the lever to simultaneously advance, anchor and perforate the tape.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line t i er Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2 illustrating a tape of greater width being handled on the dispenser illustrated in Figs. 1 to l, inclusive.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and especially to Figs. 1 and 2, reference numeral it indicates a main supporting base, to which is suitably fixed a pair of spaced standards 15-! I. The standards support a-shaft l2; upon which is freely rotatable a tape dispensing wheel 53 of a wood, such as soft pine or maple. Rotatably mounted on the shaft l2 is a bifurcated actuating lever is provided with a handle ll, the furcations of the lever being arranged closely adjacent opposite sides of the wheel I3 (Figs. 1 and 3) Pivotally mounted upon the lever furcations, by means of a pin l8 which extends laterally across the peripheral surface of the wheel [3 and which has its ends freely rotatable in apertures in the furcations, is a combined'tape perforating and anchoring or staking device. indicated in general at IS.

The device 19 comprises a pair of abutting plates 25 and 2E formed with aligned grooves in their abutting surfaces at their upper ends, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3-, for receiving the pin IS, the plates being of such width that they extend substantially across the periphery of the wheel 13. A pair of screws 2d serve to hold the plates '20 and 21 in assembled relation with the pivot pin 18 clamped therebetween. At their lower ends, the plates 29 and 2! are relieved upon their abutting surfaces, thus providing a space 25. The plates 28 and 2! are also bevelled upon their outer surfaces to provide suitable clearance space. Freely fitted in the space 25 is'a pawl 26 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4), which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a pin 2? extending at opposite ends into apertures in the plates 26 and 2!. The pawl 26 has a knifelike lower serrated edge 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. and its upper edge is suitably spaced from shouldered surfaces 3i (Figs. 2 and 4) provided in the plates as and 25. The space 25 thus formed between the lower portions of the plates 25 and 25 permits the pawl to swing freely about its pivot pin 21. This arrangement insures that the knifelike lower serrated edge 23 of the pawl 26 will at all times, in the actuation of the tape dispenser, move into parallel alignment with the peripheral surface of the dispensing wheel 13. Surrounding the pin it, in a space provided between the edge faces of the plates 20 and 21 and the inner surface of the right hand furcation of the lever l l (Figs. 1 and 3) is a, torsion spring 32 having its opposite end arms 33 and 34 in pressing engagement with the above-mentioned lower fmcations and plates 20 and 2|, respectively, the action of the spring at all times being to move the pivotal tape perforating and anchoring device iii in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the actuating lever l i, thus yieldably pressing the knife-like lower serrated edge 28 of the pawl 26 toward the peripheral surface of the dispensing wheel l3.

Freely pivotally supported upon the shaft I2 with their outer surfaces abutting the inner surfaces of the standards Hl! (Fig. 3) are two angularly adjustable, normally fixed, segments 3? and 33. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the se ments 3'! and 38 are formed with arms 39 and it, each of the arms at their outer ends having right angularly bent stop extensions ti and 42, respectively, along one of their side edges which lie in the path of an edge face of each of the furcations of the actuating lever i i. A plurality of screw-threaded apertures 45 are formed in each of the segments 37 and 38 for receiving a screw-threaded end of a headed screw 16, one for each set of apertures 45, the screws freely extending through apertures formed in the standards |iii. The apertures 15, of which there are eight formed in each of the segments 3'? and 38, are arranged in an arc, the center of which is the axis of the shaft 12, and these apertures, in the present embodiment of the dispenser, are equally spaced, although other spacing might be found desirable. By angularly adjusting the segments 3? and 38 one from the other and thereby the stop extensions il and 52 thereof which lie in the path of the edge faces .of. the furcations of the actuating lever i i, the

angular movement of the lever carrying the tape perforating and anchoring device [9 will be determined and the amount of tape fed forward in a movement of the lever from its broken outline position to its full line position (Fig. 2). The regulation of this angular movement of the actuating lever 14 is accomplished by placing the screws if; in the selected apertures 65 of the segments 3 and 38, which will provide the desired angular displacement between the stop extensions 53 and 22, thus predeterminedly limiting' the movement of the actuating lever i4 from its retracted broken outlinepo'sition to its full line position (Fig. 2) and thereby determining the length of tape advanced.

A supply of tape 47 is carried on a two-part spool 48, which is split, as indicated at 453 (Fig. l) A pair of spaced standards 52-52 are fixed to the base It, the standards rotatably supporting a shouldered shaft 53, which is screw-threaded, as indicated at E l-4:4, upon its larger diameters at each end, the smaller diameters of the shaft at opposite ends being fitted to freely rotate upon the standards 52-52 at the inner ends of arc-shaped slots 55-55 formed in the standards. Screw-threaded onto the threaded shaft portions 55-55 are clamping nuts 53-5$ equipped with handles 59-59. By adjustingthe nuts Fifi-58 inwardly upon the threaded shaft portions 5555, surfaces til-451G of the two-part spool '48 are pressed against opposite annular edges of a cardboard ring 66, upon whichthe supply of tape E7 is wound, thus clamping the tape supply to the spool which, together with the shaft 53, will rotate as a unit when the tape.

is withdrawn from the tape supply ii in the operation of the dispenser. Also, by manipulating the nuts 5656, the spool id, with the supply of tape 47, may be. readily shifted to center or align the same with the dispensing wheel I3 .of the tape to the wheel.

4 and also to accommodate various widths of tape. To prevent the dispensing wheel I3 from rotating backward or counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, when the actuating lever Hi is moved to its retracted broken outline position, a friction stop is provided in the form of an angularly shaped split leaf spring 6 l, having its upper edges of its split portion pressing against the periphery of the wheel. The upper edges of the spring e: are held against the wheel it by the action of a coiled compression spring 62 surrounding a pin 83 fixed. to the base iii, the pin freely extending through an aperture in a lower arm of the leaf spring. An adjustable nut 64 on the upper end of the pin t3 serves to press the spring 62 against the leaf spring *5! and a pair of pins 65, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 2, are efiective to prevent lateral displacement of the leaf spring.

Centrally formed in the'periphery of the dispensing wheel I3 is a continuous groove 68 for admittance of the finger tips, whereby the advanced edge of 'the tape i? may be easily grasped by an operator to remove the advanced length of tape in the operation of the dispenser, to be described shortly. Opposite annular edges of the dispensing wheel iii are beveled, as indicated at fi9--, for the purpose of facilitating the grasping of a maximum width tape and its removal from the dispenser by the operators finger tips at one of the tape edges, as shown in Fig. 5. e

The operation of the tape dispenser, assuming that the stop extensions M and 2 of the segments 3'! and38, respectively, have been angularly adjusted relative to each other in the manner previously described to determine the length of tape ll to be advanced from its supply spool 48 in the movement of the actuating lever is from its retracted broken outline position to its full line position (Fig. 2), is as follows:

In advancing the actuating lever i l from its broken outline position to its full line position (Fig. 2) it will be apparent that the combined tape perforating and anchoring or staking device l9,'due to the action of the torsion spring 32 to constantly urge the device counterclockwise about its pivot l8 and the angle of the pawl 26 relative to the plane of the outer surface of the tape 41, will cause the tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 41 to advance with the lever and at the same time the dispensing wheel [3' will also be advanced. Instantaneously with the advance of the actuating lever M to draw the tape 41 forward, the knife-like lower serrated edge 28 of the pawl 26 will perforate through the tape to form a transverse row of perforations therein and almost severing it at a point where the dispensed lengthof tape is to be detached from the supply. At the same time, the tape is anchored or staked to the soft peripheral surface of the dispensing wheel l3 by the serrated edge '28 of the pawl biting into such surface. Thus, the movement of the wheel with the tape is not dependent solely on the small amount of adhesion The actuating stroke of the lever M to advance and perforate the desired length of tape 41 is completed when the lever engages the stop extension 4! of the adjustable segment 31, as shown by the full line position of the lever in Fig. 2. In this latter position of the lever I4, the operator grasps the advanced edge of the tape 41, indicated by the numeral 10, which tape edge spans the groove 68 of the dispensing wheel l3 and with aside thrust tears it off along the line of perforations formed therein by the serrated lower edge 28 of the pawl 26, which is still functioning to anchor or stake the tape to the peripheral surface of the wheel. After detachment of the measured length of tape from the dispensing wheel [3, the actuating lever I4 is returned to the broken outline position (Fig. 2) and its movement is limited by its engagement with the stop extension 42 of the adjustable segment 31; thus another length of tape is measured for removal from the wheel [3. In this latter movement of the lever M, the combined tape perforating and staking device 19 carried by the lever moves the serrated lower edge 2'8 of the pawl 26 of the device freely over the tape, which is still stuck at its advanced edge formed by the removal of the measured length of tape from the tape supply. The measured length of tape may now be perforated, advanced and removed from the wheel l3 in the manner previously described by advancing the actuating lever l4 to its full line position (Fig. 2).

What is claimed is:

1. In a tacky adhesive tape dispensing apparatus, means for supporting a supply roll of tacky adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a nonadhesive side, a rotary tape dispensing wheel having a soft peripheral surface disposed to be engaged with the adhesive side of the tape as the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll, a member oscillatable about the axis of said wheel, and a pawl pivoted upon said member on an axis extending parallel to the axis of said member and wheel engaging the non-adhesive side of the tape and effective, upon movement of said member in one direction, to partially sever and stake the tape to said wheel surface along its partial severance and to advance the tape and wheel in unison to withdraw a length of tape from said supply roll.

2. In a tacky adhesive tape dispensing apparatus, means for supporting a supply roll of tacky adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a non-adhesive side, a rotary tape dispensing wheel having a soft peripheral surface disposed to be engaged with the adhesive side of the tape as the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll, a lever oscillatable about the axis of said wheel, and a spring-pressed pawl pivoted upon said lever on an axis extending parallel to the axis of said lever and wheel, said pawl having a knifelike serrated edge engaging the non-adhesive side of the tape effective upon movement of said member in one direction to transversely perforate and stake the tape to said wheel surface along the transverse perforations and to advance the tape and wheel in unison to withdraw a length of tape from said supply roll.

3. In a tacky adhesive tape dispensing apparatus, means for supporting a supply roll of tacky adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a non-adhesive side, a tape dispensing wheel mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and disposed to engage the adhesive side of the tape on the periphery of the wheel as the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll, a lever oscillatable about the axis of said wheel, a member pivoted upon said lever on an axis extending parallel to the axis of said lever and wheel, a pawl pivoted on said member on an axis extending at an angle to the axis of said member and having a sharp, serrated edge effective upon movement of said lever in one direction to partially sever the tape and advance the tape and wheel in unison to withdraw a length of tape from the supply roll.

4. In a tacky adhesive tape dispensing apparatus, means for supporting a supply roll of tacky adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a nonadhesive side, a rotary tape dispensing wheel having a soft peripheral surface disposed to be engaged with the adhesive side of the tape as the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll, a lever oscillatable about the axis of said wheel, a spring pressed member pivoted upon said lever on an axis extending parallel to the axis of said lever and wheel, a pawl having a perforating means and pivoted on said member on an axis extending at an angle to the axis of said member, said pawl having a knife-like serrated edge engaging the non-adhesive side of the tape effective upon movement of said lever in one direction under the influence of said spring pressed member to transversely perforate the tape and stake the tape to said wheel surface along the transverse perforations and toadvance the tape and wheel in unison to withdraw a length of tape from said supply roll.

5. A tacky adhesive tape dispensing apparatus, which comprises means for supporting a supply roll of tacky adhesive tape having an adhesive side and a non-adhesive side, a rotary tape dispensing wheel having a soft peripheral surface engaged by the adhesive side of the tape as the tape is withdrawn from the supply roll, a pawl having a serrated edge for engaging the tape on the periphery of the wheel to rotate the wheel and partially sever the tape, and means for actuating the pawl.

DALE R. CLEMONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,732 Krueger Mar. 19, 1946 1,085,984 Kleinschmidt Feb. 3, 1914 1,640,043 Leidecker Aug. 23, 1927 2,233,361 Anderson Feb. 25, 1941 2,366,971 Krueger Jan. 9, 1945 

